Posted by Russell McMurchie
Rotary International and Gates Foundation together commit $355 million to eradicate polio
(Jan. 21, 2009)
-- Rotary International has announced a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will inject a much-needed US$355 million into the global campaign to eradicate polio, a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that still paralyzes children in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and threatens children everywhere. Additional significant funding commitments were also announced by Germany and the
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: "Rotarians, government leaders and health professionals have made a phenomenal commitment so polio affects only a small number of the world's children. Rotary in particular has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication." Worldwide, indigenous wild poliovirus transmission has been eradicated from all but four countries. (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan).
Polio eradication has been Rotaries top priority since 1985. Since then, Rotary has contributed over $700 Million to the effort.
Children affected by polio has dropped from 350,000 annually to under 2,000 during that period.
Locally, Rotary President Cheryl McKeever of the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam says this huge show of support for Rotary is the largest grant ever received by Rotary International and is in addition to the $100 Million received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Polio eradication on Nov 27, 2007 which was to be matched by Rotary, dollar for dollar, over a three year period.
She went on to say that the 4 clubs in the Tri-City are busy looking after many local initiatives as well as contributing to worldwide issues.
